If you had to explain to somebody with no experience or knowledge of golf what the proper mechanics of a sound golf swing entails, and why these mechanics are important.... what would you say ?
Discuss all thoughts, ideas, theories, concepts, analogies regarding mechanics. Be as general or specific as you wish.
__________________
"Golf is not a subject but a motor skill which can only be learned and not taught." - Michael Hebron
"The Body, Arms and Hands have specific assignments during the Golf Stroke, and they must be coordinated into one efficient motion." - Lynn Blake
After basic education like how to hold the club, and how to stand, I would explain the very basics of impact, golf's most important "opposite" that you hit down to make the ball go up. So many non golf literate folks think that the club slides under the ball and "lifts" it up. Start with that and move on to basic motion chips, and only after the basic motion is executed repeatedly with proper mechanics and they have a feeling of what impact is supposed to feel like, move on to longer versions of the basic stroke. Carry this education forward to longer and longer strokes until the full swing is reached with the emphasis on arriving at impact with the same feelings and mechanics that they had on the shorter strokes. Detailed mechanical discussions should be witheld until they start asking questions like why did the ball do that? How do I make the ball do ___?
This site is steeped in mechnical discussion, 99.9% of which are unimportant to someone that has never made contact with a ball properly. In short,,, KISS them.
My idea for the thread is to find something that can be easily explained and translated to correct mechanics.
I think if you understand the design of the club, and how the body best conforms to that design, then the mechanics of how to properly move the club should work itself out. I have been thinking about how the two best fit together lately.
My idea is leverage. If you can show how the golf club is a class 3 lever, and how your left arm becomes another class 3 lever while holding the club then you understand the simple machines involved in the swing. If you can give this concept, along with how to change the length of the lever then I think the new student has an advantage
__________________
"Golf is not a subject but a motor skill which can only be learned and not taught." - Michael Hebron
"The Body, Arms and Hands have specific assignments during the Golf Stroke, and they must be coordinated into one efficient motion." - Lynn Blake
The proper mechanics ("effect") can only be obtained by executing the proper intention ("cause"), which is "sustain the lag".
__________________ Yani Tseng, Go! Go! Go! Yani Tseng Did It Again! YOU load and sustain the "LAG", during which the "LAW" releases it, ideally beyond impact.
"Sustain (Yang/陽) the lag (Yin/陰)" is "the unification of Ying and Yang" (陰陽合一).
The "LAW" creates the "effect", which is the "motion" or "feel", with the "cause", which is the "intent" or "command".
"Lag" is the secret of golf, passion is the secret of life.
Think as a golfer, execute like a robot.
Rotate, twist, spin, turn. Bend the shaft.
My idea for the thread is to find something that can be easily explained and translated to correct mechanics.
My idea is leverage. If you can show how the golf club is a class 3 lever, and how your left arm becomes another class 3 lever while holding the club then you understand the simple machines involved in the swing. If you can give this concept, along with how to change the length of the lever then I think the new student has an advantage
You're certainly free to make the thread go any way you want it to, but how many new golfers will understand levers and fulcrums, let alone what class 3 means? I'm an engineer and I had to look up what class 3 means just to be sure I remembered correctly. Why not use the original "club is swung on an inclined plane beneath a stationary (relatively) head". Hands, arms and club go up and down this plane, meet the ball just before the bottom of the arc. For a plane image use the "sheet of glass" analogy. This is the most basic image, and can be applied to both small and large strokes. Leverage will be utilized and felt before they know what it is, then the concept of leverage can come a little later when they are trying to optimize the power of the stroke. On the other hand, if you're talking to a technically oriented soul, then talk leverage, they'll get it. Most won't. Just my 2 cents.
After basic education like how to hold the club, and how to stand, I would explain the very basics of impact, golf's most important "opposite" that you hit down to make the ball go up. So many non golf literate folks think that the club slides under the ball and "lifts" it up. Start with that and move on to basic motion chips, and only after the basic motion is executed repeatedly with proper mechanics and they have a feeling of what impact is supposed to feel like, move on to longer versions of the basic stroke. Carry this education forward to longer and longer strokes until the full swing is reached with the emphasis on arriving at impact with the same feelings and mechanics that they had on the shorter strokes. Detailed mechanical discussions should be witheld until they start asking questions like why did the ball do that? How do I make the ball do ___?
This site is steeped in mechnical discussion, 99.9% of which are unimportant to someone that has never made contact with a ball properly. In short,,, KISS them.
G2M
G2M,
Great Post!! I teach a lot of beginners and I use a lot of what you described above daily. I also make sure the flying wedges are in tact and the first spots I check for a begginner are follow through and impact. I tell them to hold there flat left wrist at finish in a basic motion shot, and then I also use Dartfish video software to show them if there wedges were in tact at impact.
From there the student will ask questions then you should explain the why's and how's or technicalities. Michael Hebron is one of the greatest at letting student's ask the questions. You may want to look into some of his books to see how someone who understands TGM really well uses the KISS method for begginners.
Sorting Through the Golf Nut's Catalog.
B-Ray
__________________
I have the best job in the world, I get to teach golf for a living!!!
Catch ya on the lesson tee.
What is the progression from beginner to a more advanced student ?
__________________
"Golf is not a subject but a motor skill which can only be learned and not taught." - Michael Hebron
"The Body, Arms and Hands have specific assignments during the Golf Stroke, and they must be coordinated into one efficient motion." - Lynn Blake
What is the progression from beginner to a more advanced student ?
Do you take the blue pill or the red pill. Take the blue pill and you will forever be doomed to a world that isn't real, run on golfing faith, take the red pill and just see how deep the mechanics need to be.
Hybrid Mode
